


Give Up The Past

by Athena83



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Allusions to domestic violence, Angst, F/M, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Past Abuse, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 06:43:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17218883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Athena83/pseuds/Athena83
Summary: Reader is confronted with her past, and is afraid of what Kraglin will think.





	Give Up The Past

**Author's Note:**

  * For [celticheart72](https://archiveofourown.org/users/celticheart72/gifts).



> This is a story I wrote for @celticheart72 on tumblr. I used [Fantasy Name Generators](https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/) for the original character and planet names.

“Gotta job fer ya, Y/N.”

“What is it, Captain?”

“Need ya ta go to Xelia and retrieve somethin’ fer me.  I got a buyer who’ll pay triple what it’s worth if we can get it to ‘im by the end of the week.  I’d go myself, but I got another job to do.”

“Oh, um, sounds good.  Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Ya sure?”  He looked at you closely, and you averted your eyes.

“Yeah. I just haven’t been to Xelia in a while… was hoping I’d never have to go back.”

You shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal, but your heart was beating faster and you were beginning to sweat.  You hoped Yondu wouldn’t notice, but he noticed  _everything_ , even if he didn’t always mention anything about it.  

“I can send somebody else if ya ain’t up fer it,” he told you.

“Oh, no, it’s fine.  I’ll be fine.”  

“What happened to ya on Xelia?”

You weren’t sure how much to tell him.  You didn’t want him to think you were weak, and you didn’t want to fail the mission, and therefore fail  _him_ , but you also hated talking about your past.  You thought he deserved the truth, though.  If it hadn’t been for him, you’d probably still be on Xelia, basically living as a slave to Krendiss Venkarth.  You hadn’t meant to get wrapped up in that sordid world, but you’d met Venkarth when you were very young and impressionable, and it had all happened so fast.  He’d made you feel special at a time when you had only felt awkward and unloved, and by the time you’d realized what kind of person he actually was, it was too late for you to leave. 

 

_Three Years Earlier_

It was only due to dumb luck that you’d managed to escape.  You had been at a local bar, the Minotaur, with Venkarth one night when Yondu, though you hadn’t known him at the time, and his crew had barged in, attracting everyone’s attention, but especially Venkarth’s.  He always wanted to be the center of attention – he ruled the area, as far as he was concerned, and he didn’t take kindly to anyone else coming in and taking over. Things would quickly get violent if he ever felt threatened, and he  _definitely_  felt threatened when Yondu, alpha male that he was, showed up and took over control of the bar. You could see Venkarth tense up as Yondu told a joke that had the whole bar laughing, and were just waiting for him to snap.  Venkarth stood up, and you slid down a little more in your seat.  He walked over to the table where Yondu was holding court, and you suddenly realized this was the first time in weeks that Venkarth had left you alone in public.  His thugs were all surrounding Yondu’s table and weren’t paying a bit of attention to you.  It was now or never.  You quickly slid out of the booth and hurried out of the back door. 

You ended up in an alley, and you weren’t sure which way to go.  You wouldn’t have time to go back to Venkarth’s place to get any of your things, and you definitely couldn’t go home.  He’d have his men looking for you as soon as he realized you were gone, which wouldn’t take long, and those were the first two places he would look.  Knowing time was of the essence, you just started running, and hoped a plan would come to you as you ran.  You turned the corner at the end of the alley, and ran right into someone, knocking both of you to the ground.  

You hit the ground hard, and felt the breath leave your body.  

“Sorry, miss!  Here, lemme help ya up.”

You realized the man you had knocked down was already standing, and he was holding his hand out to you.  You hesitantly took hold of his outstretched hand, and he easily pulled you to your feet.  

“Th-thank you.  I’m so sorry for running into you.  I… I’ve got to go, I’m sorry!”  You suddenly remembered Venkarth, and as much as you wanted to stay and talk to this tall stranger, you knew you didn’t have time.  If Venkarth caught you talking to a strange man, he’d kill both of you.  You started to run off again, but the man stopped you when he asked, “Wait!  Are ye okay?  Is somethin’ wrong?”

You knew you shouldn’t stay.  You  _knew_  it was a bad idea to hang around so close to the bar where Venkarth was still inside, probably already realizing you were gone, but you couldn’t help it.  There was just something about this stranger who had already been kinder to you in one minute than anyone else had been to you in the last year.  

“No, it’s okay.  I just… need to get away from here.”

“Where ya headed?”

“I have no idea.  I just can’t stay here.”

“I can walk ya home, if ya like.”

“I… can’t go home.”

The man showed no surprise at this statement.  Maybe he couldn’t go home, either.  

“Ya need a job?  Cap’n’s been lookin’ fer somebody to help our cook out.  Can ya cook?”

You were so caught off guard that you momentarily forgot about Venkarth, and took a step closer to the stranger.  “Yeah.  Yeah, I love to cook, actually.”  

“Okay, well if yer interested in bein’ a cook’s apprentice on a ship, I bet the Cap’n’d be glad ta talk to ya ‘bout it.  C’mon, he’s at the Minotaur right now, probably have a good shot at gettin’ the job if ya talk to ‘im after he’s had a few drinks.”

Hearing the name of the bar brought you back to your senses.  “I can’t go back there.”

You figured he could see the panic in your eyes, as he took a step closer and reached out to touch your arm, but he seemed to think better of it.  His face flushed a light blue, and he stepped back again.  “K, well I can take ya to the ship, an’ we can wait on ‘im there, if ya want?”

“Okay, that sounds good.  Where’s the ship?  Can we go now?”

“Not far, c’mon.”  

He started walking off, and you only hesitated for a moment before you followed him.  You couldn’t believe you were about to get on a space ship with a complete stranger.  What if it was all a ploy to kidnap you?  But desperate times called for desperate measures, and almost anything would be better than living another day in Venkarth’s shadow.  

“Name’s Kraglin, by the way.”

“I’m Y/N.”

He nodded, then you both walked in silence for a while.  You could hear loud noises in the distance – clearly a bar brawl had broken out, and you were pretty sure Venkarth was  right in the middle of it.  You faintly heard what sounded like sharp whistling, but thought you might have just imagined it.  

“Um, can we walk a little faster?”

“Oh, yeah, no problem.”  Kraglin picked up his pace, and you gratefully fell into step beside him.  You kept glancing back over your shoulder, afraid you’d see Venkarth running up behind you each time.  

“Somethin’ wrong?”

You hesitated.  Something about him invited you to open up and tell him everything, but after spending a year living in fear of Venkarth, you found it hard to trust anyone.  “No, everything’s fine.  I’m just a little jumpy tonight.”

“Well, we’re almost at the ship.  Just ‘round this corner an’ down the street a little ways.”

Leaving the sounds of the nightlife behind, you entered a quiet street where several space ships were docked.  

Kraglin pointed, and told you, “It’s the one at the end.”

When you reached the ship, Kraglin entered a code on the control pad by the entrance, and the door slid open.

He walked inside, and, after just a moment’s hesitation, you took a deep breath, and followed him inside.  The door slid shut behind you and you panicked for a moment before you realized that there was almost no way for Venkarth to find you here.  It may have been a mistake for you to get on a stranger’s ship, but at least it would be a mistake that would get you away from Venkarth.  You breathed a sigh of relief, and turned to Kraglin.  

“Thank you.  For telling me about this job, and letting me wait on the ship.”

“It’s nothin’.”  He sat down on a crate in the corner, and you realized he wasn’t going to take you any farther inside the ship.  He might be kind, but he wasn’t stupid.  You realized you were as much a stranger to him as he was to you, and knew he was going to wait and let the Captain, whoever that was, decide whether you’d be allowed on the ship itself.  

“So, how long do you think the Captain will be?”

“Dunno, depends on how much fun he’s havin’.”

“Oh.”

You sighed.  This could be a long wait.  You only hoped that Venkarth’s search wouldn’t include all the space ships docked in town.  

You sat down on a crate on the other side of the small room, prepared to wait for a while, but suddenly the doors slid open again, and the same blue Centaurian from the Minotaur stomped inside.  Kraglin jumped up and saluted.  “Cap’n!”

“What the hell’s goin’ on in here, Kraglin?”

You wondered if you might have made a mistake in agreeing to meet the Captain.  He seemed angry, and definitely not in a mood to hire someone.

“Got someone in’trested in bein’ Cook’s apprentice.”

“That right?”  

He looked you up and down, and you straightened your spine.  You weren’t going to show weakness to him, even though you were afraid he’d kill you where you stood just for daring to be on his ship when he returned.  

“Ya cook, girlie?”

“Yes.”

“Ya any good?”

“Yes.”  You were good by some standards, anyway, and you didn’t figure a crew full of space pirates would have high standards.

“Ya got a problem bein’ part of a group of Ravagers?

A year ago you probably would have said yes, but after the shady things you’d been involved in with Venkarth, you could honestly say living with a group of Ravagers sounded down-right innocent.

“No problem at all.”

“Good.  Ya got the job.”

“What?  Just like that?”

“Yeah.  Ya need to go get anythin’ ‘fore we leave?”

“No.”

“Good.  C’mon, Kraglin, we’re leavin’ now.”

“Aye, Cap’n.”  He saluted again, then walked to the door leading to the interior of the ship and entered another code.  

You followed the two men onto the Eclector proper and into your new life, and never looked back.

* * *

You never told Kraglin or Yondu about your life before on Xelia, and you never mentioned Venkarth.  Not when Yondu described the fight between himself and Venkarth in the Minotaur after you’d left.  Not when he talked about how much he wished he’d put an arrow through his head instead of letting him leave the bar.  Not even after you and Kraglin started a relationship and he asked you about your past. You figured the past was the past and you had no plans to ever go back to Xelia, and definitely no plans to ever see Venkarth again.  

So when Yondu asked you to go back to Xelia and retrieve something for him, you knew he had no idea that the very thought of going back made you sick.  You knew if he had even a clue about your life there, he wouldn’t have asked you.  But you also didn’t want Venkarth to dictate your life anymore.  You were tired of living in fear of him, and after three years of living on a Ravager ship, you felt a little more confident about your chances of standing up to him.  There was still a small part of you, however, that was scared to death that he would find you and take you back and you’d never see Kraglin or the others again.  

Yondu was still looking at you expectantly, and you finally said,  “I just… didn’t have a good life there.  I was with someone who wasn’t a good person, someone I’d rather not see again.”

“Did he hurt ya?”

You couldn’t lie to Yondu – he’d see right through you anyway, so there was no point in trying.  “Yes.”

“I’ll kill ‘im.  Who is it?”

“Nobody, it doesn’t matter now.”

“Like hell it doesn’t!”

“Yondu, please!”

“Ya know what, ferget the job, ya ain’t goin’.  I’ll send somebody else.”

“Yondu, no, I can do this!  I swear, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“It  _is_  a big deal, and yer gonna tell me who he is.”

You sighed.  “Fine.  Do you remember Krendiss Venkarth?”  Even saying his name made you shudder.

Yondu cursed and you flinched.  “I knew I shoulda killed him when I had the chance!”  

He looked angrier than you’d ever seen him.  “Please don’t tell Kraglin.  It’s in the past, I don’t want him to worry about me. I want to do this job.”

“He worries about ya anyway, me not tellin’ ‘im ‘bout this ain’t gonna make a difference.  I still don’t think it’s a good idea fer ya to go now that I know ‘bout you an’ Venkarth.”

“I need to do this alone.  Please. I’m so tired of being afraid.  I need to prove that I can handle myself when there’s a chance of him being around.  I can’t always hide behind you, Kraglin, or the others.”

Even though you could tell he wasn’t happy about it, he finally nodded. “Ya don’t need ta prove yerself, girl. But I understand.  Fine, ya can go, but ya get in there, do the job, an’ get back to the ship.  If ya even get a whisper of Venkarth, ya ferget the mission and get back here.  An’ ya better call me if anythin’ happens – don’t even think about handlin’ him on yer own if he happens to show up.  I swear I’ll kill ya myself if ya don’t call fer backup when ya need it.”

“I promise, I won’t even see him.  He won’t be expecting me to be back, and I’ll just do the job and leave.”

“An’ I won’t tell Kraglin…”

“Thank you so much, Yon-…”

“…but you will.”

“What?”

“Yer gonna tell him yerself.  Or the job’s off.”

You sighed again.  “Fine, I’ll tell him as soon as I get back.”

“Ya better.”  

* * *

 

You were more nervous than you could ever remember being, and you didn’t know if you’d even be able to walk off the ship, much less finish the job.  You took a deep breath to try to steady your nerves. You heard your communicator beep and Kraglin’s face popped up on the screen.  Despite your nervousness, it brought a smile to your face.

You picked up the communicator and pressed the button to answer. “Hey, Kraglin!”

“Hey, Y/N, how’s it goin’?”

“Good.  I’m getting ready to go on that job for Yondu.  How’s your mission going?”

“It’s goin’ fine.  I jus’ miss ya.”

“I miss you, too.  You’ll be back soon, though, and then we can spend some well-deserved alone time together.”  

“I like the sound a that.”  He grinned, and you couldn’t help smiling back, even though you knew you’d have to have a serious conversation with him about Venkarth before you’d get any “alone time” with him.

“Me, too.  And there’s, um, something we need to talk about when you get back.”

“Somethin’ bad?”

“Oh, no, don’t worry, it’s nothing bad.”

He looked relieved, yet still concerned, at your words.  “Okay, well, we should be back in a couple a days, then we can have plenty a time fer talkin’… an’ other things.”

You bit your lip, then answered, “I can’t wait.”

“See ya soon.  Love ya, Y/N.”

“I love you too, Kraglin.”

Rather than feeling relieved after your conversation with Kraglin, you now felt more worried than before.  What if he didn’t take the news well?  You hadn’t  _technically_  lied to him, but you supposed lying by omission was just as bad.  You just hated thinking about that time in your life, and, if you were honest with yourself, you were afraid that Kraglin would think less of you and decide he didn’t want you anymore.  You suddenly realized that he needed to be the one to make that decision, though, and you felt worse than ever that you had withheld part of yourself just so he wouldn’t leave.  You wanted him to love you for  _all_  of you, and not just the parts that you had chosen to show him.  

Taking a deep breath, you tried to push thoughts of what might happen with Kraglin to the back of your mind.  You had to concentrate on the task at hand – landing on Xelia, finishing your job for Yondu, and getting back to the Eclector, all without being noticed by Venkarth.

You chose one of the M-ships that the rest of the crew had left behind when they’d left for their own missions, and headed towards Xelia.  You were determined to finish this job for Yondu so you could prove once and for all that you had overcome your fear of Venkarth, and could finally move on with your life.  A life that would hopefully still include Kraglin after you told him that truth about your past.  

The closer you got to Xelia, the more worried you became.  What if something went wrong?  What if you got hurt?  You’d never been on a job by yourself, and you suddenly thought that Yondu must have been out of his mind to allow you to do this one on your own.  Even though you’d joined the crew as the cook’s apprentice, Yondu made  _everyone_ train and go on missions occasionally, but this would be the first time you’d been on one alone, and you weren’t sure that you could handle it.  And then, looming ever present in the back of your mind – what if you were captured by Venkarth again?  Even the thought was too much to bear, and you shook your head, trying to concentrate on Yondu’s instructions.  It should be a fairly straightforward mission.  One of Yondu’s contacts was in possession of a particular item that was extremely valuable, and, unfortunately for the contact, illegal, on Terra, and Yondu had a buyer who was willing to pay extremely well if Yondu could get the item to him discreetly.   All you had to do was meet the contact at the designated rendezvous point, discreetly swap bags (one of which held 500,000 units, the other the delicate item in question), and keep walking.  No talking, no hanging around.  Just in and out and back to the ship.  

You landed the M-ship, grabbed the bag and double-checked that the units were still there, then took a deep breath.  You knew exactly where the meeting point was, considering you had been there many times with Venkarth, and you only hoped that his business kept him on the other side of town today.  You passed the shops and places of business that you used to frequent in a previous life, and said a silent thanks that your life was so different now.  Sure, being a Ravager wasn’t exactly on the up and up, but at least it wasn’t as bad as being with Venkarth.  

You spotted the meeting point, and felt a stab of fear.  You pulled your hood down over your face, and hoped it would be enough to keep anyone from recognizing you.  Walking inside the dark establishment, you sauntered over to the predetermined meeting place, and recognized the description of the man you were supposed to meet.  You leaned against the bar next to him, nonchalantly placed your bag on the floor between the two of you, and nodded, while looking around the room.  The man stretched, leaned down and picked up your bag, leaving an identical one in its place, and walked out.  You picked up the remaining bag, and walked out of the back exit.  You couldn’t believe it had been so easy, and couldn’t help the skip in your step as you headed back to the ship.

“Well, well, well.  If it isn’t the long-lost Y/N.”  The sound of that cruel voice filled you with fear.  It was Grolmatu, Venkarth’s number one thug.  “Venkarth’s gonna be so happy to see you again.”

You reached for your wrist communicator to signal Yondu, but Grolmatu was too fast for you.  He roughly grabbed your arm and ripped the communicator off your wrist before you could even react.  “I don’t think you’ll be needing to call anyone.  Venkarth’s gonna take good care of you.”

“Please, no, let me go!”  

“What?  You mean you ain’t looking forward to being reunited with Venkarth?  He won’t be pleased to hear that.”

“Please,” you whispered, but you knew it was no use.  Grolmatu loved nothing more than being cruel, and you had no doubt that whatever Venkarth had in store for you was definitely going to be cruel.  

Still holding onto your arm, he pulled you into an alley, then shoved you into a waiting hovercar.  He ripped the blaster out of its holster on your hip, and placed it in his own holster.

This couldn’t be happening!  It was your worst nightmare come to life, and there was nothing you could do.  You couldn’t believe you’d forgotten every single bit of training you’d received from the Ravagers.   _How could you have forgotten you had a weapon?_  But hearing Grolmatu’s voice had taken you right back to the year you had spent with Venkarth, when you had definitely not been armed, and had not had a chance of escape.  And now you were right back in the same situation.  The same scared girl, just waiting to be told what to do.  You watched as Grolmatu went through your bag.

“Now what do we have here?  Who are you working for, Y/N, that you’d be picking up such a rare treasure?  Venkarth won’t be too happy to hear you’re working for someone else.”  

“Nobody,” you whispered.

“Nobody, huh?  I doubt you’re able to pay for this stuff on your own, so you’ve got to be working for somebody.  But don’t worry about telling me.  Venkarth will get the name out of you pretty quick.”

You were afraid he was probably right.  The last thing you wanted to do was give him Yondu’s name, but you weren’t sure how long you could hold out once Venkarth got a hold of you.  And as far as Venkarth would be concerned, Yondu had stolen you from him, and he wouldn’t take that lying down.  And if Yondu got involved, so would Kraglin, and you didn’t want either of them to suffer for your mistakes,  _especially_  Kraglin.  You could only hope Yondu wouldn’t tell Kraglin where you were, and maybe he could move on with his life, because there was no way Venkarth was letting you out alive a second time.  

You felt the hovercar come to a halt, and your fear spiked when Grolmatu opened the door and pulled you out.  You tried to pull away from him, but his grip was too strong.  He pulled you into the warehouse that you recognized as Venkarth’s headquarters, and you thought your legs would give out.  You had hoped never to be in this place again, yet here you were, with no chance of escape once those doors closed behind you.  You struggled harder, but it was no use.  You heard the doors slam closed, and you started to silently cry.  He pulled you into a side room, one you knew Venkarth spent most of his time in, and it felt like you’d never left in the first place.  Maybe the last three years had never happened.  Maybe it had all been an elaborate dream.  Maybe you’d never met Yondu or Kraglin, never fallen in love with the latter.  No, you couldn’t even lie to yourself – you knew falling in love with Kraglin was real.  You wished you could see him one last time, but knew that wouldn’t happen now.  

Suddenly you were pulled out of your thoughts by the voice you hoped never to hear again.  Venkarth’s.

“Look who’s finally returned to me,” he said, standing up and holding his arms out to you.  

When you didn’t move, he tilted his head, and continued, “What? No hug for me?  You haven’t missed me?”  He leered at you, then added, “I’ve thought of you every day since you disappeared. Thought of how I would make you pay for running away from me.  I told you that you’d never be able to escape me forever, and here’s the proof.  I bet you thought you were rid of me for good, didn’t you? Who helped you?  Huh?  Who did you convince to take you away from Xelia?”

When you didn’t answer, he walked closer to you and roughly grabbed your arm.  You knew you’d have a bruise tomorrow.  You only hoped that was the worst you’d have tomorrow.  

“I  _said_ , who took you away from me?”

“We did.”  

Venkarth wheeled around, dragging you with him, and you saw Kraglin, along with several other Ravagers, filing in from the back door.  

“Grolmatu, don’t just stand there, get them!”  

But the Ravagers were too fast for them, their weapons already drawn. They started firing, and Venkarth’s thugs ran for cover.  Unfortunately, Venkarth still had a tight grip on your arm, and he pulled you down beside him, behind a large crate. Your heart was beating out of your chest, and your only concern was for Kraglin.  You didn’t care what happened to you, as long as he made it out safely.  

“Drop your weapons or she dies!” Venkarth shouted.  You knew he wasn’t bluffing.  So did the Ravagers, apparently, as you heard several weapons hit the ground.  

“Let her go, an’ we’ll leave peacefully,” shouted Kraglin.

Venkarth stood up, dragging you to a standing position beside him. “I don’t usually let go of things that belong to me.  She slipped away once, but she won’t do so again.”

“She ain’t yers, and yeah, I reckon she’ll be leavin’ again.”

Venkarth laughed mirthlessly.   “And just who is going to take her from me? You’re all unarmed now, but my men aren’t.”  

“We ain’t all unarmed.”  You heard a sharp whistle and all four of Venkarth’s men hit the floor, dead.  

“What the - ?”  Venkarth spun around to see Yondu walk into the room. “You Ravager scum!  I thought I’d seen the last of you at the Minotaur.”

“Believe me, I wish that’d been the last time I had to lay eyes on ya, ya worthless piece a trash!  I shoulda killed ya when I had the chance.  Now let her go!”  

His ruby eyes flashed, and for the first time you understood why he was a feared Ravager Captain.  

Venkarth didn’t respond, but you saw him lift his laser cannon to fire it at Yondu.  Yondu didn’t react and for a fleeting moment you didn’t understand why he wasn’t going to protect himself.  Then you heard Kraglin yell, “ _No!”,_ andthe sound of a quad blaster firing, then Venkarth’s grip on your arm slackened.  He fell to his knees, then collapsed onto his side.  You couldn’t believe it.  He was dead. Your nightmare was finally over.  

“Y/N!  Y/N, are ya okay?”  You suddenly realized you were in Kraglin’s arms, and you started to cry from relief.  

“I’m so sorry, Kraglin.”

“Shhh… ain’t no need to apologize.  I’m just glad yer okay. Jus’… jus’ don’t ever scare me like that again.”

“I won’t, I promise.”  

He cradled your face in his hands and kissed you.  “I love you more than life itself, Y/N.  I don’t wanna lose ya.”  

“I love you, too, Kraglin.  So much.”  You kissed him again, then he lifted you in his arms and carried you back to the Eclector, away from Xelia for the last time.

* * *

 

Later, when you were back on the ship and had calmed down some, you were talking to Yondu and Kraglin in your quarters.

“So how did y’all find me?  I was never able to call you for help.”

“Didn’t matter if ya called or not, that wrist communicator had a tracking signal built in, an’ I activated it before ya left.  Ya didn’t think I’d let ya go off on yer own without tracking ya  _somehow_ , did ya?” replied Yondu.

You rolled your eyes.  “I should have known you wouldn’t give in that easily.  Not that I’m complaining, mind you.”

“Yeah, I didn’t figure you minded being tracked if it meant saving yer life,” he smirked.  “When the signal went dead, I knew somethin’ was wrong, so I sent the last coordinates to Kraglin, an’ headed there myself, in case he didn’t make it in time.”

“And how did you get back so fast?” you asked Kraglin.  “I thought you still had a couple of days left on your mission…”

“Oh, we finished early, an’ I was gonna surprise ya tonight.  But when the Cap’n told us what was goin’ on an’ sent us the coordinates of yer tracking unit, we went through a few jump points an’ made it back just in time to see that jerk drag ya into that building.  We snuck in the back, an’ Yondu musta got there right after us.”

“Yeah, I saw y’all goin’ in the back, so I decided to go on in the front.”

“Well, I can never repay y’all for saving me, seriously. Y’all will never know how much it means to me.”

Yondu waved vaguely in your direction, then stood up and said, “Don’t mention it.  I need ta go check on the rest a the crew.  Can’t leave ‘em alone too long, ya know.  Figure y’all need some alone time, anyway.”  He winked at the two of you, then walked out, closing the door behind him.

You smiled shyly at Kraglin, and he wrapped his arm around you, pulling you closer to him.  

“When I thought I might lose ya today, I didn’t know what ta do.”

“Kraglin…”

“No, lemme finish.  I realized I cared fer ya more’n I thought. Realized I’d die if somethin’ ever happened to ya.  An’ I know we’re Ravagers, an’ there’s a chance we could die on ever’ mission, but I swear I’ll do whatever it takes to keep ya safe.  As long as there’s breath in me, I’ll protect ya.”

You were speechless.  You didn’t know Kraglin could be so sentimental, but you could tell he meant every word, even if he was blushing a light blue.

Your smile grew wider, and you pulled him to you, kissing him soundly.  

When you both came up for air several minutes later, you whispered against his lips, “I love you so much, Kraglin.  More than you could ever imagine.”

His only response was to pick you up and carry you to your bed, whispering, “I love you, too, Y/N.”


End file.
